The invention relates to pre-proofed frozen dough compositions and related methods and products.
Commercial and consumer users of dough products appreciate the advantages associated with freezer-to-oven dough products. A freezer-to-oven (FTO) dough is one that can be stored at or below freezing (i.e., below about 32F.) and can be baked from the frozen state without thawing or proofing. Different varieties of FTO dough products exist, some being leavened with yeast and pre-proofed before frozen storage, and others being chemically leavened.
Some freezer-to-oven doughs use special ingredients such as added gluten, gums, and gelatin, or special processing, to provide stability and useful frozen storage properties to FTO doughs. See, e.g.,: U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,946 (using emulsifier and protein); U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,738 (using gums and gelatin); U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,351 (using gelatin optionally with gluten); U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,778 (using added protein); U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,911 (using hydrophilic colloids); U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,177 (using hydrophilic colloids, film-forming proteins, and surfactants). Other FTO dough compositions use modified-atmosphere packaging, which may include a sealed atmosphere containing a high concentration of carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
Further improvements in freezer-to-oven dough products are desirable in the baked products arts, including new compositions and methods of making FTO doughs. In particular, it is always desirable to eliminate, where possible, ingredients included in a dough composition primarily to allow the use of the dough composition in FTO applications, including ingredients such as added gluten, surfactants, hydrophilic colloids, etc., as mentioned above. Also desirable is the elimination of burdensome manufacturing and storage processes or steps such as those relating to modified-atmosphere packaging. It is also desirable to provide dough compositions with improved oven spring and improved storage stability.
The invention relates to methods and compositions in preparing yeast-leavened, freezer-to-oven dough products. The ability to manufacture high quality, economical, freezer-to-oven yeast leavened dough products has eluded the industry for years. The combination of the high quality and long shelf life of frozen dough, and the convenience of FTO products, makes this a very attractive technology for both food service and retail applications.
The invention specifically relates to the use of freezing point depressants to reduce the freezing onset temperature (FOT) of a pre-proofed dough composition. The amount of freezing point depressant used in a dough composition is optimized as being enough to reduce the freezing onset temperature by a desired amount, but on the other hand is not so much that ice formation is prevented altogether. Some reduction in freezing onset temperature is desirable because high ice content in a frozen dough composition can cause negative results including a noticed reduction in stability or BSV. The invention recognizes that there is a balance between reducing freezing point (i.e., FOT) and eliminating ice formation altogether, and that an optimum level of freezing point depressant will accomplish both. Stated differently, while it is known to be desirable to reduce the amount of ice formation in a frozen dough composition, it has been discovered that some reduced amount of ice, without completely eliminating ice formation, can result in useful benefits such as a relatively better baked specific volume, improved stability, or both. In theory, ice is believed to retain carbon dioxide in a dough composition at frozen storage temperatures, by acting as a barrier to at least slow the amount of carbon dioxide that escapes from the dough during frozen storage. Retaining carbon dioxide can allow the use of non-modified atmosphere packaging. Secondly, the solid ice is thought to act to support a frozen dough structurally, to prevent damage of the dough matrix during storage.
While other FTO dough compositions have adjusted freezing temperatures to avoid ice crystals, the present invention recognizes that ice crystal formation should not be minimized or prevented altogether, but that some ice crystal formation is beneficial, and better than no ice at all. Preferred dough compositions can exhibit a freezing onset temperature (as measured using a cryoscope) in the range from about +5 F. (Fahrenheit) to about 20 F.
The formation of ice crystals can be controlled using ingredients that reduce the freezing onset temperature of the dough, e.g., to a freezing onset temperature that is reduced, but that does not prevent formation of ice altogether, during frozen storage. Freezing temperature depressants include salts, sugars, alcohols, and polyols, such as mono- or di-saccharides including dextrose, sucrose, fructose, as well as alcohols and polyols such as ethanol and glycerine. The inventive dough compositions can be prepared using various dough making techniques, and in one embodiment can be prepared with a rest step after mixing and prior to further processing such as sheeting or dividing and rounding. The dough compositions of the invention can also be packaged in packaging materials that do not include provisions for maintaining the dough composition in a modified atmosphere. Thus, embodiments of the dough compositions do not require modified atmosphere packaging, and can still exhibit useful or improved baked specific volume and stability properties.
Pre-proofed dough compositions will not require a proofing step between frozen storage and baking.
Also, in contrast to some other freezer-to-oven dough compositions, the inventive dough compositions do not require a high concentration of gluten, e.g., vital wheat gluten or any other source of concentrated wheat gluten. Nor do they require inclusion of special surfactants, emulsifiers, or hydrophilic colloids, like some other FTO dough compositions. The inventive dough compositions do not require special ingredients, processing, or packaging, making them both economical and practical. The invention could be applied to a broad range of dough products, ranging from sweet rolls to bread doughs to any other yeast-leavened finished dough products ranging from breads (pan bread, baguettes, dinner rolls), pizza crust, and sweet rolls, donuts, or pastries, etc.
An aspect of the invention relates to a method of preparing a yeast-leavened, pre-proofed dough composition. The method includes providing a dough composition comprising flour, yeast, water, and an amount of freezing point depressant that depresses the freezing onset temperature of the dough composition but allows ice formation in the dough composition at a frozen storage temperature; resting the dough composition to allow bubbles in the dough composition to enlarge in size; processing the dough composition; proofing the dough composition; and freezing the dough composition; wherein the dough composition can be baked to have a relatively greater baked specific volume compared to the same baked dough composition prepared without the resting step.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of preparing a yeast-leavened, pre-proofed dough composition. The method includes mixing a dough composition from ingredients comprising flour, yeast, water, and an amount of freezing point depressant that depresses the freezing onset temperature of the dough composition but that results in some ice formation in the dough composition at a frozen storage temperature wherein the ice retains carbon dioxide in the dough composition; proofing the dough composition; packaging the dough composition in non-modified atmosphere packaging; and freezing the dough composition.
Still another aspect of the invention relates to a method of preparing a yeast-leavened, pre-proofed dough composition. The method includes mixing ingredients into a dough composition comprising flour, yeast, water, and an amount of freezing point depressant that reduces the amount of ice formed during frozen storage but that still results in some ice formation to retain carbon dioxide in the dough composition during frozen storage; resting the dough composition for at least five minutes to allow bubbles in the dough composition to enlarge in size; processing the dough composition after resting; proofing the dough composition; freezing the proofed dough composition; packaging the proofed dough composition using non-modified atmosphere packaging; and baking the dough composition without proofing or thawing.
Still another aspect of the invention relates to a pre-proofed dough composition. The dough composition includes flour, yeast, water, and an amount of freezing point depressant to provide an freezing onset temperature in the range from about 10 to about 20 F., packaged in non-modified atmosphere packaging, wherein the pre-proofed dough can be baked from frozen without thawing or proofing to produce a baked dough composition having a relatively greater baked specific volume compared to a similar dough composition having a freezing onset temperature that is either below 10 F. or that is greater than 20 F.